Rice Recipes

I've already made several versions of risotto like the Asian Fusion Bamboo one or the more traditional cremini mushroom risotto. Today was a very cold and rainy day, so I decided to make another risotto. This version is risotto with broccoli, Lulu's favorite. Broccoli pairs great with cheddar cheese, and is a great flavor and color accent to the risotto. It's slightly upscale comfort food that your family will love.

Tofu Bánh Xèo is a vegetarian Saigon crepe. It's is a South Vietnamese dish. The exact translation is a "sizzling cake that is deflating". The Bánh Xèo crepe has a rice flour base with coconut milk. It's a lot thicker than the French version but just as delicious. The crepe has an earthy flavor, so It's always a savory dish filled with a lot of vegetables.

I've noticed that a lot of Vietnamese dishes have French influences as a result of years of colonization. The preparations are French, but the ingredients are Vietnamese. For example, the beef fondue, called bò nhúng dấm in Vietnamese, uses a fermented shrimp paste in the sauce.

Prepare this very exotic and healthy meal for your family and friends. You'll have another recipe in your arsenal for Sunday brunches and dinners alike.

Bamboo shoots are young, crisp and tender. They have a similar texture to asparagus, but a very different flavor. I've been thinking a lot lately about how to take a traditional risotto and make an Asian fusion version, and it occurred to me that bamboo would be an excellent flavor to add to the dish.

The basics of the risotto are still the same. A little oil, arborio rice, broth, and a vegetable. I didn't put cheese because I was making an Asian version, and I added some turmeric and paprika for color. The dish is finished with some red chili oil and fresh cilantro.

We had a party this weekend and Lulu's family came over. We had a bunch of leftover steamed jasmine rice so this was the perfect occasion to make some shrimp fried rice (cơm chiên tôm in Vietnamese). I had bought some shrimp for the party because Lulu's relatives are all carnivores. I decided to use them as the protein in this dish. The shrimp, not the relatives that is...

It's super easy once you know the tricks of the trade. You won't have to go to your local Chinese restaurant anymore when you're in need of a fried rice fix.

If you've been to an Indian buffet, you've probably had some kheer. This kheer is a regular rice pudding made with Indian spices. Cardamom, almond and pistachio are common flavorings in Indian desserts. It was flavored at the end with kewra water. You can also add a touch of saffron water to give a yellow color to the dessert as well.

Every culture that uses rice as a starch has some form of rice pudding. In France, it's called le riz au lait. In Vietnam, it's chè đậu trắng, a black eyed pea sticky rice pudding. And of course, there is good old American rice pudding, usually topped with nutmeg, mace and cinnamon.

Mina is Lulu's cousin. We had a potluck going on this weekend and she brought desserts. And as a food blog addict, I had to post it.